


Uplifting

by fish_wifey



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkward Sexual Situations, Coming of Age, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivalry, Rivals to Friends to Lovers, Sexual Content, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 22:22:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17516915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fish_wifey/pseuds/fish_wifey
Summary: Starting out as a rivalry at the gym with ongoing contest of who is faster, stronger, better, Goshiki and Kageyama soon find themselves on friendly terms.And friendlier, still, when they realize to have feelings for the other person.





	Uplifting

**Author's Note:**

> Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy 69th fic for Haikyuu!!!!! Oh my god acjcjks so I had a couple of other shorter one shots ready, but I felt that my 69th fic deserves a 69 too...
> 
> So! I'm uploading the first part of this now. I wanna write a fic where I have them age up and maybe add time skips to let them grow up more as they grow together??? And then gradually I'll add spicier tags when they become intimate on more than just a friendship level uvub
> 
> Anyway I love so many Goshiki ships that its hard to choose what relationship to work on but good god, I love this boy. And I like the way I write Kageyama so its feels easy to me to have these two together~~ Their dynamics are so fun to explore ;;
> 
> Also omg I love training and having the boys workout. I do this often in fics and especially if it involves Kageyama??? I hope its not too boring for anyone else ;;
> 
> Please enjoy!!

Tobio would later liken the meeting as a snake in the grass trying to eat a crow. Tsukishima would likely mention that he’s being dramatic and Yamaguchi would ask if snakes would even be able to devour crows. Yachi would behave in her sometimes weird, incomprehensible, but sweet way. And whatever Hinata had to weigh in on the matter, Tobio would disregard in a heartbeat. Not on the sole ground that it's Hinata, but just because Hinata's experiences are as minimal as Tobio's. 

He lifts the dumbbell away from the hand reaching out for it, gazing up at Goshiki Tsutomu. The first year crowned ‘ace’, when Ushijima had been the grand ace. But in the end, having a couple of aces didn’t matter. Not against their team. Tobio manages not to smile thinking about it; Shiratorizawa had a national top 3 ace in their team, and one who’d easily take over the reigns after him. But Karasuno had Azumane, Tanaka, and Hinata. Not to mention everybody else.

In terms of power and ability, Goshiki was obviously better than Hinata. And as it turns out, even quicker to rouse. 

“I need them,” Goshiki’s voice rumbles a little low, making it barely past his mouth. Tobio lifts one of the dumbbells he just took, cocking one eyebrow. The annoying music of the gym punctuates between breaks of the men and women training around them. Tobio takes a step back, taking the two 12 kilogram dumbbells with him to his bench. He sits down, one leg on each sides, then regards Goshiki one more time.

“So? I took them first. I’ll be needing them for about 10 minutes, tops.” Facing the mirror, Tobio should be reflecting on his muscles, and start the reps. He sees Goshiki approaching, then retreating, ultimately distracting him. Before Tobio can concentrate on the arm-workout he wants to do, his eyes shift to Goshiki’s movements.

Eyes that widen when Goshiki picks up heavier dumbbells than the one he wanted before. Tobio watches, absentmindedly doing his own biceps curls. Goshiki stands, lifting both dumbbells up and outward at the same time, then slowly returns them to his sides. As he continues to use heavier weights, he adepts; becoming faster and faster, until he smiles to Tobio. It’s that self-assured, charismatic smile Tobio remembers from the court. One that oozes confidence by the second. 

_I don’t need those puny weights anymore_ , that smile seems to say, as sweat runs down Goshiki's face. Tobio humphs, returning the dumbbells he had been using and picks heavier ones. The ones Goshiki uses at the moment were the kind he practiced overhead lifts with, and so he attempts to do the same with a heavier batch. It isn’t easy, but Tobio likes a challenge. It doesn't matter if its hard, as long as he can lift them up. He isn't foolish enough to turn his head to Goshiki, and is grateful for the mirror.

Apparently, Goshiki likes a challenge also. Once his first workout is done, he returns the dumbbells. Tobio slows down to see which weight Goshiki goes for next, but the other boy bypasses the dumbbells all together. He picks up a single kette-bell, 12 kilogram. Tobio, if he wouldn't know anything about training, would have laughed at it. But kettle-bell workouts can use up your entire body and take a lot more strength. Goshiki knows this, too. He gets into a low squat position for a two-handed kettle-ball swing.

And smiles at Tobio, before he starts.

 

*

 

Tsutomu had problems enough as it was. At school, he couldn’t use the public gym anymore. Too many of his senpai would also be there. And that means, too many distractions. Peers who were bulkier than him in their third year, beautiful looking specimen who trained hard and knew each other well. Tsutomu harboured no deeper feelings for any of them, but he’d rather not be distracted constantly. His upperclassmen had every right to still train their bodies, even as they graduated the volleyball club.

Opting for a gym somewhat further away from his district didn’t help at all. As soon as Tsutomu walks in, he spots Karasuno’s pretty setter. Tsutomu can easily admit that Kageyama was easy on the eyes, especially when he isn’t wearing the Karasuno uniform. As soon as Tsutomu gets close, he knows there’s no escaping it anymore. At least he can distract himself from the distraction that is Kageyama’s face, by competing against him. They moved from dumbbells to kettle-bells. Unlike the dumbbells, these come in pairs, and the same size is easily found. It was unsaid that they had a competition going, and Kageyama seemed the silent and brooding type... But Tsutomu doesn't have to hold back to talk like he would with his senpai.

“Thirty drops, who does them faster wins,” Tsutomu laughs, planting his feet into the mat. He's already done two reps of ten, feeling his muscles at work. Beside him, Kageyama does the same. They swing the kettle-bell between their wide stance, then lunge it forward. Thirty quickly becomes fifty. It’s not until sixty that they both stop. Tsutomu can’t hardly point to the water bottles in front of them, as he done more than Kageyama. Kageyama is equally out of breath, however, and cannot speak either. 

Plopping down on the mats rear first, they gulp the water down. Tsutomu knows some drops spill past him over his mouth. But he’s in a gym, there’s sweat involved anyway, so he doesn’t care about it. It’s not as if Kageyama notices anyway, being drained too. He seems able to hold his composure drinking water and doing other things a lot better than Tsutomu. Especially when Kageyama turns around to ask him a question, he doesn’t sound out of breath at all anymore.

“So we’re training arms and legs?” Kageyama asks after a while, his storm blue eyes set on Tsutomu. Shaking his head, Tsutomu laughs. He wanted to solely focus on his upper body. 

“That was a mistake. And we will surely feel it tomorrow morning… No, but, my plan was to train my back muscles next.” Tsutomu stretches his legs a little, then gets up first. Helping Kageyama up, Tsutomu finds himself surprised by the state of Kageyama’s hands. They don’t feel rough. His fingers are almost normal. There’s no calluses to be felt, and his nails, as Tsutomu inspects them, are impeccable. He doesn’t wear sports tape either.

“I need my hands back, Goshiki,” Kageyama says, his voice smooth. Tsutomu immediately lets go of the hands, successful at the attempt not to brush the fingers as he does so. Kageyama does not seem to notice anything odd. “Back exercises huh… I could use those too.”

The last sentence he more mumbles to himself, face pensive. Tsutomu opts that he could share his routine, and they could work out together. 

It becomes visible quite early that there’s a couple of exercises Kageyama has never done. He isn't nonathletic in the least, and he picks up what Tsutomu says quite fast. But Tsutomu had strong senpai half his life. People who didn’t just train well, but ate well to let their functioning muscles grow stronger. All for volleyball. Kageyama later tells him that he has dumbbells at home but wanted to get a little more stronger all over, not just the arms. 

The longer they are in the gym, the more Kageyama talks and opens up. And the more Tsutomu feels himself getting lost in his voice. It’s not loud, and has a cool vibe to it.

 

*

 

“Sooo, I have to ask. Who are you dating?”

The question hits Tsutomu out of nowhere, when Tendou stands in the doorway. He physically has to take two steps backward just from the impact of the words hitting him. When he least suspected his teammates to notice, Tsutomu took a look at his phone in the club room, before he’d put it away and go to practice. He’s become used to being more left to his own devices, after the third years retired. But they do make surprise visits, every now and then. Given that Tendou would be the person to come into his personal space and pry information out of him, Tsutomu hides his phone against the chest. He isn’t sure if he’s send his text or not yet.

“Uh, what?” Tsutomu asks, making sure he sounds as calm and collected as possible. Tendou swings his way forward, arms hanging low. Most of the others in the club room tend towards their own business, not wanting to be included in Tendou’s antics. He eyes Tsutomu’s phone, who then and there decides he’d fight Tendou if he needs to. Glaring somewhat at his upperclassmen, Tsutomu stands his ground, when he would love to take another step back.

Tendou points at his chest. “You’re texting someone _a lot_ , word has it. And you have that cheesy smile on your face, the one you get when someone compliments you,” Tendou says, his eyes thin. It’s a jab at how Tsutomu has gotten ‘compliments’ from anyone outside the volleyball club. It also seems he’s been watched a lot more than he thought. Tsutomu shakes his head.

“I’m not dating anyone. Just making plans for the weekend,” he says, as if his heart isn’t beating hard against his chest. Tendou’s smile widens.

“Is that so? And it’s not someone special, at all?”

Tsutomu doesn’t want to lie, but as he opens his mouth, he cannot say the exact truth either. He’s saved by Oohira, who grabs Tendou by his collar and drags him back.

“It’s not any of your business,” Oohira says, his mouth a straight line as he looks at Tendou. Being pushed out the door with force, Tendou whines. Oohira flashes Tsutomu a warm smile. “Carry on. I was busy talking to Sato outside, and couldn’t come to your aid sooner.”

Nodding, Tsutomu releases a breath once the attention is off him. He looks down to his phone when he’s sure Tendou won’t return, then hits 'send' to reply. Kageyama had answered him that meeting up in the weekend for a more interesting workout would pose no problems to his schedule. Tsutomu had the idea when he browsed what could give him explosive power, and hill sprints where one of them. On the other side of the mountain, closer to Kageyama’s school, there was some sort of infamous hill. 

It wasn’t as if Tsutomu needs it to be top secret that he and Kageyama have met up on purpose in the gym. The thing is, for Tsutomu it started to mean a lot more than a rivalry. He and Kageyama get along fine, and once they started talking about volleyball, favourite players and teams, things just… slid down a path of friendship. A certain ease Tsutomu didn’t have with a lot of people settled in after a month of lifting weights and holding contests on the cardio machines. Sharing workouts, new findings, the importance of protein shakes, what to avoid eating. How to make themselves stronger and better. It was fun to share this with someone his age, who was just as hooked on volleyball as Tsutomu himself. 

Sometimes, a little voice inside his head told him it could be more than just friendship. That voice becomes louder whenever Tsutomu is idle and able to observe more. It happens when he takes a breather, drinks water, or stretches. One day, he was spotting for Kageyama as he lifted weights lying down. The next minute, losing count, he couldn’t help but notice Kageyama’s eyelashes, his sharp jawline. He couldn’t stop observing a certain kind of… manly beauty in Kageyama. The way he keeps his eyes low in concentration. The way he’d look up to Tsutomu, and have a smile for him ready. A smile that suited him, and wasn't out of place at all.

Truthfully, Tsutomu wasn’t just thinking of running up a hill faster than his opponent. He genuinely wants to spend time with Kageyama. He had no bad intentions about it but… he just didn’t want anyone from the volleyball club to know. At least not… until he was sure of something, anything. And Tendou, who would tease him to hell and back... Tsutomu just dodged a bullet for sure.

Biting his lip, Tsutomu waits on Kageyama’s answer, then continues getting ready for practice and head out. If Oohira and Tendou were close by, they might come to watch, and that would mean the others could be there too. Tsutomu sighs. Just when he thought most of the distractions would be over…

In the last second before he'd put his phone in his bag as usual, it lights up. And so does Tsutomu's face.

 

The week goes by in a snail pace as Tsutomu waits for the weekend. He and Kageyama agreed to meet Saturday afternoon. When it’s time to head out, Tsutomu looks at himself in the bathroom mirror. The dorms were mostly empty at this time, and he was able to check his reflection. It looks plain, but somewhat cool. Or so he likes to believe; the white training shirt had a narrow cut at the sides. The short sleeves were snug on his biceps, which Tsutomu likes. It had breathable mesh at the zones that would heat up during training. His running tights were simple blue, also with mesh. His shoes were older then both the garments, but comfortable and easy to run in.

Easy to win with. 

Combing his fingers through his front bangs, wondering if he should cut them now or a later, Tsutomu’s scared half out of his skin when the door opens. Sighing, he watches a cat walk in, meowing as it checks the corners of the room. 

“Shoo, there’s no food for you here.” Tsutomu says in a stern voice, thinking that one day this particular cat would accept his authority. This cat is a frequent visitor of the dorm. A couple of people had given it a cutesy name, but Tsutomu couldn’t remember half of it. Picking the cat up, he guides it out again. It meows louder for being picked up and not knowing where it’s taken, then makes a cute little sound when Tsutomu puts it down and pets it. Making sure the bathroom door falls in place and no cat can get inside, Tsutomu takes a deep breath. Somehow, touching the cat's soft fur helped to calm his nerves a little. 

It’s a sunny day, fresh. A good day to run. Nothing out of the ordinary.

 

*

 

Tobio’s never been super self conscious about his looks. He didn’t know people worried about that until his second year in junior high, when not just girls but also his peers in the club started talking about it. In Karasuno, too, people tended to talk about ‘looks’ and ‘physique’. For Tobio, rule of thumb has been that if his build allowed him to play volleyball with maximum effort and good results, that was all that matters. 

Yet, the snug clothes he wears for his run against Goshiki, make him check his reflection in the windows of the shops he passes by. At home he left the rain and wind jacket, not seeming to need it on such a pleasant day. At home also, left in doubt, were his orange shorts. He still wears long sleeves and ankle-long tights, but it’s all very… form-fitting. It was a bit on the colder side today, enough to have him not wear shirt and shorts. Shaking his head when he looks in the 6th shop’s window, Tobio moves on towards the agreed meeting place. Goshiki wouldn’t care, anyway. 

“Right… it’s just another contest. Focus,” Tobio says to himself, already seeing the trees in the distance. He cannot make out if Goshiki’s already waiting, given the foot traffic in front of the hill. It some kind of stupid name which Tobio cannot remember. Tanaka’s words escape him. ‘Heart’... ‘Heart’-something hill. 

Tobio wishes it was colder when he sees Goshiki. Wishes he had his windbreaker jacket on and could hide in the collar. He fights the urge to bite his bottom lip as he approaches. Goshiki looks even more like an athlete in his run clothes than in his gym gear. Unlike Tobio, Goshiki opts for a short sleeve in this weather. When his… rival/friend notices him, they exchange nods.

Enjoying the presence of someone like Goshiki was something Tobio wasn’t ashamed off. But every now and then, such as a couple seconds ago, his mind drifts to another place. One he’s not been in very often. He has no idea what the feeling in his gut is, where it comes from. It only turns and twists when he’s in Goshiki’s space. Taken in by an unnamed monster Tobio cannot name, which eats at him at night, and troubles him with daydreams.

“Did you wait long?” Tobio asks, starting knee hugs to loosen up. Goshiki gives him a smug smile as he stretches his arms and opens up his shoulders.

“No, not that long. Although I did have a quick run here. Place is far.”

“Hmph, it’s not that far from my school…” Tobio says, thinking how he should have left home later, and run too. Goshiki’s been warming up more, which might give him an advantage. That’s the smug smile for, Tobio realizes. Grinning, he stretches his fingers to his toes, keeping his legs straight. Let him have it, Tobio thinks.

“You guys run here often? What are the usual terms?”

“Just one versus one? It's mostly just the single run up to a certain point. Then we all jog together, mostly. We could do… first to win three sprints out of five,” Tobio decides. If he’s not good in the first two runs up the hill, he can still win with the last three.”

“Hmmm, so, up, down, up, down, up? Any point of reference, by the way?” Goshiki asks, putting his arms behind him, linking his fingers. Tobio watches as Goshiki lifts his arms up, flexing his muscles. Illegal. 

“There’s a bend in the road, for cars to park. Has a nice view,” Tobio says, remembering how he and Hinata hadn’t noticed that at all and raced right past. Tanaka did show them later where they were supposed to stop, a day or three after declaring war against Ushijima. He doesn’t mention any of that to Goshiki, knowing it was… rather stupid of him and Hinata to run for such a long time until they didn't know where they were. “Running up is heavier, and we could leisurely jog down.”

“Fine with me, up is the way we go!” Goshiki smiles, continuing warming up stretches holding on to a traffic sign. 

Competing against Goshiki was a whole other level than what Tobio was used to with Hinata. First of all, it’s a lot less noisy. Tobio is silent in concentration when he sprints up, breathing sharply through his nose. They sprint a couple of times, and as Tobio knew, he lost the first two, won the two after. They’re on the fifth run when it happens.

Goshiki trips. His knee makes an unkind slide against the road, and he hisses in pain. The bend is in sight, but the contest flies out of Tobio’s mind when he looks behind him. He jogs back, kneeling next to Goshiki to see how bad the damage is. The tight is ruined, and Tobio helps Goshiki to roll to his side and sit up. Inspecting the knee, he cannot determine if the wound is shallow or not...

“Here, give me your arm,” Tobio says, already reaching for Goshiki’s hand. The boy’s face distorts not by pain, that much Tobio can see. He's not turning red, per se, but Tobio can understand. “It happens…”

They’re the same height, Tobio thinks, but Goshiki feels heavier. He brings him to the previously mentioned bend, walking as slow as Goshiki needs him to. There’s no bench to sit him onto, so Tobio lowers him close to the rail. He didn’t bring anything except for keys, and has no idea where to get water or band-aids from. Especially without money.

“Ah man, this sucks,” Goshiki mumbles, inspecting the knee as he bends over. Tobio squats next to him.

“I can… take a run and get supplies to help clean it up and get you going. Should I bring you a spare tight, too? We’re the same size, I think. ”

“...That would be kind of you. I’ll just… enjoy the view here I guess,” Goshiki forces a smile, not looking at Tobio too long. Tobio nods more to himself then in agreement, and runs away. He can understand… taking a tumble in the middle of a rivalrous contest is embarrassing. He might not have reacted as kind as Goshiki did being helped with.

Running like the wind, Tobio just opts to run back home to get the necessities. 

Back up the hill, Tobio finds Goshiki where he left him. He helps to clean the wound, putting a large band aid over it. Goshiki rips the torn thigh open further, sighing. Giving Goshiki the thigh, Tobio looks around. Behind them is a wall, but there should be a segment of easy to reach forest up here, where Goshiki could change. 

“Thank you, Kageyama,” Goshiki says, standing up by himself. He turns his back to Tobio, who reacts quickly in looking away when Goshiki undresses right there in front of him. Looking to the sky, Tobio thinks he’s probably done the same, too, if it would have been anyone but Goshiki. His eyebrows draw together, guessing that Goshiki feels at ease around Tobio.. Or just extremely confident.

They walk down the hill, Tobio keeping his pace slow for Goshiki’s sake. 

“You don’t have... Practice matches or anything the like?” Tobio asks, concerned that he messed up even just a day in Goshiki's high school career.

“No, no… Just practice on Monday, as usual. I’m sure I’ll be fine by then,” Goshiki smiles, forming a fist and hitting himself on the chest. “Don’t underestimate Shiratorizawa’s ace!” 

Tobio offers him a small smile. “I would never.”

All the way down again, Tobio walks a bit of the way with Goshiki, even when the latter says it’s not needed. Trying to keep Goshiki’s mind off things, Tobio looks up to the mountain they’re passing. 

“They don’t call it Heart hill for nothing. You need a lot of heart to conquer it,” Tobio says, hoping to sound cool.

“W-what kind of hill?” Goshiki sputters, looking incredulously at Tobio. It’s now that he’s said it out loud that Tobio realises that word isn’t right. Feeling stupid, he rubs the back of his head, pressing his lips together. Tanaka’s actual wording comes to mind way too late, but he still corrects his initial statement.

“Heartbreak hill! That’s what its called…”

“That’s even worse! Do a lot of couples from Karasuno come here just to break up?”

Goshiki starts laughing, and the smile breaks to his eyes, letting wrinkles form at the sides.

“How should I know!?” Tobio blurts, becoming red in the face. Goshiki laughs louder, holding his ripped garment to his chest. He said he’d throw it away at home, and return Tobio’s tights as soon as possible. The feeling of embarrassment fades away seeing Goshiki happy like this, and Tobio starts to laugh, too. Still a little embarrassed, he's glad to somehow made Goshiki's mood a lot better.

“Hey Kageyama, come hang out at my place. You don’t have anything else to do, right?”


End file.
